Portrait artists all have their own ideas about what makes for a great portrait: something that glorifies the subject, something that shows it in harsh realistic detail, or something that reflects the essence of the subject. Others take all these options, and add one more: make it big. Whether for effect or out of necessity because of the size of the canvas, here are 10 of the most interesting and mind bogglingly large portraits:

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Ron Mueck likes his portraits to be incredibly realistic, and big. He creates titanic pieces out of cutting edge materials that lend an eerie affect. His self portraits are detailed to the point that he includes stubble and the pores in their skin. Small wrinkles and incredible expressions make the subject feel like they’re viewing a giant, not a sculpture.

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Chuck Close is a phenomenon. With his hyper realistic and larger than life portraits, he forces the viewer to examine the subject in closer detail than they would ever in everyday life. Due to this close examination, the viewer ends up seeing the subject more than they would if they’d actually met in person. Chuck Close loves to experiment with his own style, but even after years, he hasn’t tired of portraiture.

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Rems182 and Truly design have created a series of beautiful murals that incorporate with their environment. With the use of a paint roller, Rems182 is able to create emotionally stirring works that capture the essence of their subjects, and elevate the environment around them.

(Images via oberholtzer)

A Kenyan photographer has created a gigantic exhibition of his work that’s so large it’s hardly visible from the ground. The photographer has taken portrait shots of his subjects and blown them up to the point that low flying planes would get their own art show.

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Evan Penny fell in with the hyper realism portraiture crowd, but he’s well known for exploring a different facet than most: he creates three dimensional portraits out of silicone and other high tech materials that are typically only seen on film sets. His creations are so lifelike, that if they weren’t hanging on the wall, one might accidentally strike up a conversation with one.

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The Face 2 Face Project is an attempt to help cool hostilities in the Israeli / Palestine conflict by showing both sides that the other are not the faceless enemy they’d like to believe. Artists take photos of people from both sides of the wall and then display them on the same wall that’s separating the groups, so both sides can still see the other.

(Images via noddit, telegraph, barackobama)

President Obama stirred a lot of sentiments with his speeches on the campaign trail, and his motto of “Hope.” Many artists took this to heart, and created portraits that reflected the size of his persona and influence. One such exhibit was so large that it can not be seen from ground level. This art is only for the clouds to see.

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The renowned artist Jorge Rodriguez Gerada has gained a worldwide reputation for his hyper realistic portraits created on some of the largest canvases possible – buildings. His murals manage to maintain quality despite an uneven work surface and a scale that doesn’t allow him to concentrate on anything but the smallest facial feature at a time.

(Images via mountshang, scandigital, swifttaxi)

Ancient cultures would often create works of art of such a grand scale that they make our typical pieces seem trivial in comparison. There are more modern artists who like to follow in these civilization’s footsteps, however, by carving their art out of an entire rock face. It is extremely difficult to see the big picture when your entire body is smaller than the nose of your art.

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Portraits don’t just have to be painted, as a lot of innovative artists enjoy using unique, recycled materials for their art. The portraits featured here are made of discarded nokia phones, post it notes, and even paintbrushes.